How to Make Your Case to Telecommute When You’re a Manager

A telecommuting arrangement is attractive to professionals at all levels. But how can you make the case when you’re a manager with direct reports under you?

Dear Pat: I’m the Director of Technical Services for a publishing company. Much of my demanding job could be done from my home and cutting my commute would restore some of the personal time I’m craving. My problem is, I have a small team of people reporting to me and I’ve never heard of a manager who works from home.

I’m preparing to ask to telecommute only two days a week. Even so, I expect the higher ups to challenge me with something like, “You’re a manager; you can’t telecommute.” How do I make my case? ~ Stymied

Dear Stymied: Anticipating objections is a smart move when requesting any type of flexible work arrangement. As with all negotiations, preparation before the actual meeting primes you for a favorable outcome. To help you along, here’s a scripted reply to the objection you expect. Adapt it to suit your circumstances.

“With meetings, travel and paid time off, like most managers, being physically away from the office is the norm. My team communicates mainly through email, Slack and chat anyway, and we already use virtual project management apps. All that will continue seamlessly from my remote office.

With three days a week on-site, my proposed telecommuting arrangement maintains our regular team meetings. And because I’m evaluating them by well-defined outcomes and not heavy oversight, they’re motivated to do the necessary work without my standing by every moment.

Telework is done successfully at many other companies such as Amazon, Cigna and Sodexo. Why don’t we give my proposal a fair trial?”

Beyond that, I encourage you to rehearse your response to each likely objection. Role-playing fosters a sense of control over the negotiation process, which in turn, will boost your confidence and improve your performance in the negotiation conversation.

Get Scripted Replies to Six Common Objections

Inside the Telecommuting Proposal Package, you get scripted replies to all six of the most common objections you might get when requesting to work remotely.

Be prepared with exactly what to say to keep the conversation going toward agreement so you can enjoy working from home soon.